


A Love Unrequited

by Starseed (TangoDown1800)



Category: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, F/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 20:50:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9343598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TangoDown1800/pseuds/Starseed
Summary: You are in love with Jacob Frye. The only problem is - he's not in love with you. How far will you go to prove your love to him? Or will you even try at all?





	1. Chapter 1

You hadn’t planned on falling for Jacob Frye; in fact, you tried your hardest not to. He never hinted at feeling the same way about you and you don’t know why you gave yourself hope that he would. He was far beyond your reach, far too good for you. You were a Rook and he was your leader and an Assassin. The things he did were far more important than your feelings for him.

You weren’t sure when you first realized that you more than liked him. Maybe it was when you noticed he was just like one of you. He never acted as though he was better than anyone. When he walked into the pub with his flat cap and patched up coat, you thought that he was just another guy coming in for a drink. That was until he started speaking and you hung on every word he said. He spoke of the injustices that you all were facing and how you all had to win your spaces back. He told you all that you should not have to walk down the streets in fear, they should be fearing you and he just so happened to look at you when he spoke those words.

From that day on, you were a Rook and Jacob Frye became one of the most important men in the world to you. His sister would come along with him at times and though she didn’t warm up to you all as quickly as Jacob did, she still saw that what you all were doing was for the greater good. Though he was her brother, she didn’t seem him as anything more than a nuisance. But the things she found annoying about him were the things you found charming.

Keeping your feelings to yourself was the best thing you could do. He was out of your league, untouchable and that was the way it would stay. You had no idea it would be one of the things you would regret for the rest of your life.

* * *

You noticed subtle changes in the way Jacob dressed. The coat with the patches was replaced by a nicer, sleeker coat. New boots, new trousers, and finally a new hat…and you liked that least of all. The little flat cap that you had come to love was gone, replaced by a top hat that seemed to change the way he looked entirely. You joined in with the others in teasing him when he met up with you all.

“Well, don’t you look smart,” you say, a witty little smile on your face as the others chip in.

“Who is she?!” one of the others ask. You laugh along with them until you look at Jacob and realize that he was almost blushing. “Oh, so there is someone you’re trying to impress!” the man yells and you force out a laugh as your heart drops to your stomach.

You couldn’t help but to feel a pang of jealousy though you had no right to; he was never yours to begin with. You never told him how you felt.

The crowd around Jacob eventually disperses and you sit in the corner, drinking and cursing yourself. When you look up from your glass, Jacob is walking towards your table and you want to panic. You look to your left, to your right then back at Jacob.

“Don’t look so nervous, love. I don’t bite,” he says as he sits across from you. You were sure your face was completely red by now.

“O-okay…sir.” You try to look him in the eyes but you couldn’t hold his gaze for more than a few seconds without feeling your face burn.

“You don’t have to call me sir.”

“Mr. Frye?” you ask.

“Jacob is fine,” he chuckles. “After having the entire pub take the piss out of me it’s nice to just sit down and talk. I hope you’re okay with this.”

“Yes…yes, of course.” You look up at his hat then down at your drink quickly but he notices.

“Go on. Tell me what you think.”

You shrug, “Everything looks great…I just, well, I liked the flat cap better,” you admit.

“Ah, did you now?” He looks at you and you nod. “I’ll admit, I do miss it but I think it was time for a change.”

“To impress this…mystery woman?” you ask though it was really none of your business.

“Is that a bad thing?” he asks, leaning on his forearms.

“Well…no. I don’t think so…depends I guess.” You looked at him and decided to continue. “She should like you no matter what you’re wearing. Did she like your old clothes?”

“No idea,” Jacob sighs. “I haven’t actually talked to her.”

You nearly choke on your drink and look up at him while clearing your throat, “You haven’t _talked_ to her?”

“No…that’s part of the reason why I’m talking to _you_. I need your help.” He looked a little ashamed after saying that.

“How could I possibly help?” You were asking both yourself and Jacob that question. Were you willing to help another woman fall in love with him when you were mad about him yourself?

“Well, what do women like?”

You give him a funny look and shake your head, “I know what _I_ like but I can’t speak for other women…especially a well-to-do one…”

“How do you know she’s well-to-do?”

“Seriously, Jacob? You’ve changed your entire wardrobe!” You look over his clothes then back at his face.

“Maybe I just felt like a change…” he shrugs.

You roll your eyes and scoff, “Right.”

“You’re supposed to be _helping_ me, love, not treating me like the others.” He must be truly desperate if he was coming to you.

“Fine, I’ll help as much as I can…” You spent the rest of the night giving Jacob ideas and helping him as much as you could. You used some personal experience though you didn’t have much of it. Jacob listened intently and was very grateful. “It’s not going to happen overnight but it should be worth it in the end.”

Jacob smiles and nods, “I do hope so. Thank you so much, love.” You nod as he stands and walks away. You really wish he wouldn’t call you ‘love’, it only broke your heart more.

 _He was never yours to lose_ you remind yourself.

* * *

The next few weeks seemed to go by in a fog for you at least. Jacob looked happier each time you saw him and you just got sadder. You had done it, you helped him end up with someone else; someone that was far better than you.

He started bringing you little gifts to thank you for your help and you cherished each one like they were the crown jewels. One day he pulled you aside and took a little box from his pocket. When he opened it, you felt your entire world come crashing down.

“I’m going to do it! Do you think she’ll like it?” he asks excitedly.

You nod quickly and force yourself to smile, tears threatening to spill over at any time, “Yes…she’ll love it.”

Jacob squints and leans back to get a better look at you, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine…just not feeling well.” You force another smile to reassure him.

“Okay because I do want you to be happy for me. Most of this has happened because of you!” He grabs your shoulders and pulls you in for a hug.

“Of course, I’m happy for you, Jacob. **I want you to be happy…”** you say against his shoulder.

“Thanks again,” he says with a big smile before nearly skipping out the door.

 **“…with or without me,”** you finish as you stare at the door he just walked out of.

* * *

That night you cried more than you ever have. You had to let him go for good and you felt that it was almost impossible.

Maybe you should have told him, but would that have made any difference? You were in love with him but that didn’t mean he reciprocated those feelings. He was obviously mad about the other woman – the woman he was about to marry. You hated her and you didn’t even know her. You shouldn’t though, it wasn’t her fault.

You rolled over and finally tried to get some sleep when another thought hit you: Jacob was going to invite you to the wedding and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. No. You had to find some excuse, get away fast, _something_. You still had time to figure things out. Surely, a wedding took some time to prepare and it wouldn’t happen right away. What if she said no? You shook away that thought; she wasn’t going to turn down Jacob Frye.

* * *

You avoided going to places which he frequented for the next few days but you knew that he would notice and come looking for you soon enough. You had started to pack what little belongings you had to make your escape. This was not you at all. You never ran from your problems but now look at you – not even sure were you were going, just running away.

Shaking your head, you turned away from your bags and was about to open the door when there was a knock. You knew who it was. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Just me,” Jacob says expecting you to let him in. “Are you hiding something in there or are you going to ask me in?”

“Um, yes…sorry. Please come in,” you say quietly.

He walks in and looks around, noticing the bags immediately. “Going somewhere?”

“Y-yes. I need some time away…” You can feel his eyes on you but you can’t bear to look at him right now.

“Away from what?”

“Everything.” That was the only way you could answer without giving too much away.

“Well, do you think you can stay around a little longer, at least until the wedding because I would love for you to be there.”

 _Just tell him no. Be strong and tell him you can’t do it._ “I’ll be there.” _Perfect._ “You two sure didn’t take any time planning anything.”

“Well, she knows I don’t want anything extravagant and, well, her family doesn’t quite approve of me anyway so we though a small, quick wedding with a few close friends was for the best.” He looks at your bags again. “Where will you go?”

“I don’t know, just…away,” you answer truthfully. You honestly had nowhere to go but it was too painful to stay here any longer. “When’s the wedding?”

“Fortnight from today. You’re not going to sneak off on me, are you?”

“No Jacob. I’ll be there.”

“Great.” He walks to the door then turns again, “Oh yes, I almost forgot…” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his old flat cap, holding it out to you. “Take it.”

With tears filling your vision and a trembling hand, you take the hat from his hand and hold it gently as if it might fall apart if you handled it too roughly. “W-what’s this?”

“Why my cap, of course! I remember you telling me that you liked it more than the top hat I wear now and instead of throwing it out, I thought I’d give it to someone who would at least take good care of it. I do kind of miss it.” He touches the hat and smiles sadly.

“I’ll take care of it,” you tell him, your voice now thick with emotion.

“I know you will. See you at the wedding, right?” he asks while opening the door.

You nod, “Yes. See you there.”

Once the door closed behind him, you fell apart. You collapsed onto your bed, holding the hat as if it was the only thing keeping you alive.

* * *

The day of the wedding came and you couldn’t believe you were going. Almost every day leading up to it, you wanted to run way but you told Jacob you would be there and you couldn’t let him down. You found one of the nice outfits you had and put it on, walking with a few other Rooks to the small church at the end of the street.

You were going to stay in the back, out of sight but Jacob spotted you and waved you to the front. This would be your first time seeing this woman he fought so hard to get and you could feel your heart beating out of your chest.

A few of the men clapped Jacob on his back as she walked down the aisle towards him. You eventually got the courage to look up at her and…she was beautiful. You thought you might see a look of distaste on her face as she saw who was attending but she smiled at everyone and her face only lit up more when she looked at Jacob. She looked at him with nothing but love and that sealed the deal for you, this was real and he would never be yours.

The entire wedding was a blur but you cheered when you had to cheer and laughed when you had to laugh. You were about to leave when someone tapped your shoulder and you turned to find Jacob and his bride looking at you, all smiles.

“H-hello,” you say with a smile.

“This is her, dear,” he says to his now wife. “The one that helped me win you over.” He properly introduced you two and you shook her hand then she surprised you by pulling you in for a hug while Jacob watched happily.

“Congratulations you two,” you say as brightly as you can.

“Leaving already?” Jacob asks.

“Yes. I have a trip planned, remember?”

He nods and gives you a small smile, “You’ll come back, won’t you?”

You nod, “Yes.” You congratulate them again before leaving and walking home alone. You take off the stuffy outfit you have on and change into something you were used to.

You had saved up enough money to get yourself a train ticket to the countryside and just as you were walking out the door with your bags, a coach pulled up to take you to the station. The coachman took your bags and strapped them to the back as you climbed in. He closed the door for you and you were on your way.

You made it just in time for your train and when you got settled, you reached into your coat and pulled out Jacob’s cap. One tear fell from your eye and you quickly wiped it away then smiled down at the hat. You put it on and looked at your reflection in the window.

The lie you told Jacob was one that had to be told. The truth was, you weren’t coming back…at least not any time soon. You had to get away from him, you had to let him go. No doubt, he would forget about you soon anyway. He was married now and would probably be starting a family. He was happy and that’s what mattered. One day you’d find happiness like that…

…if ever the day came that you no longer thought about Jacob Frye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob tries to find you... 15 years later and it doesn't go as well as he planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is mainly from Jacob's POV. It switches back to you towards the end

Jacob woke with a start and a pounding headache. He groaned as he rolled over only to find the other side of the bed empty _again._

_That’s right,_ he thought. He remembered coming home sloshed, but not much of what occurred after. The bed being empty though – _that_ he remembered. It had been that way for the last few years unless he had brought someone home for the night, but most of the time they were gone long before he woke.

He sat up in bed and slicked his hair out of his face only to have it fall back in front of his eyes. It was cut a little shorter now but it still managed to get in the way every now and then. His wife had convinced him to cut it because he was “no longer a boy” and he had done whatever she wanted. Now that she was gone, he could grow it back if he wanted to. He knew of one person who would take him no matter what his hair looked like. For now, though, he was completely and utterly alone.

His wife had left him when, after a few years, she could no longer deal with the work he did. She would scream about having to wash blood out of his clothes all the time and he had offered to do it himself but that only made her angrier. She screamed about him spending too much time with the Rooks, she screamed about not having children, she screamed about where and how they lived, she screamed about _him_. Everything was his fault, never hers. He had changed his clothes but he couldn’t change himself and that was what she expected. That was something he would never be able to give her.

So she left and he never heard from her again. _Good riddance_ , he thought to himself as he finally placed his feet on the cold floor and stood. It was nice to come home and not be yelled at as soon as he walked through the door. Of course, he still loved her but he should have known it was doomed from the start. She was used to a certain way of living that he just couldn’t offer her. He put on airs and gave her a different version of him, a version that was false and she fell in love with the façade.

_Stop thinking about it_ , he told himself as he washed his face and ran his hand over the light stubble. As he shaved, he began thinking about the one who got away, the one who told him she would come back but never did. He had no right to be angry with her but he found that he was. How could she leave him like that? _Easy. She got on a train and never looked back. You probably don’t even exist anymore in her mind._ He hisses in pain and anger as he nicks himself, blood dripping onto the floor before he can stop it.

He looks up into the mirror and gets a quick flash of the man he used to be, the man he was years ago, before he tried to change; the man he was before (Y/N) went away.

He finished shaving and walked through his empty house to the kitchen. Being alone always gave him too much time to think and what the thought about were never good things. He only thought about how alone he was and how other men his age would have a house full of children by now. He wondered if his special Rook had a family of her own now.

A quick cup of tea and a quick change of clothes later, he found himself at the pub. He was never much of a cook so he relied on others to do it for him; others being the cooks at the local pub now that his wife was gone. When Evie was around, she would sometimes bring him food but she was long gone now too so this was his last resort.

Every now and then he would run into some of his old Rooks and they would sit and reminisce. Most of them were family men or women now. He seemed to be the only one who didn’t have a happy life.

“Mr. Frye!” someone calls from the entrance of the pub, pulling him from his sad thoughts. Jacob smiled and waved his old friend over. “How are you, sir?” the man asked as he sat across from Jacob.

“I’m fine.” That was a lie but no one needed to know. He wondered then if this man, this old Rook might remember the woman from long ago. He hoped that the man wouldn’t think him strange for asking such a random question, but he wanted to find her now more than ever. “I have a question for you and it may seem a bit odd but just bear with me, hm?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir.” The honorific seemed ill-fitting at the moment but he knew the man couldn’t help himself.

“I was wondering if you remembered someone from long ago – a woman. I would sit with her here in this same place usually at the table in the corner. She helped me long ago and I never thanked her properly and I just wanted to know if you knew where she might be…” He looked at the man across from him, waiting for an answer.

“Ah, you mean (Y/N)? The one with the pretty smile? Last I heard she was living in the countryside.”

“Any idea where exactly?” Jacob was leaning forward in his seat now.

“Yorkshire, I think.”

“Thank you,” he says, taking a few more bites of food before standing and throwing some money down on the table and checking his watch.

“Anytime, Mr. Frye!” the man shouts behind him.

* * *

As he made his way to the station, he tried not to feel jealous over the fact that that man knew where she was and he didn’t. He had no right to feel that way…but he did. What made him think that she would want to see him anyway? He was rushing off to the countryside and she may not want anything to do with him.

And was he doing this because he was lonely or did he truly miss her?

_You miss her and you’re lonely, you idiot._

He shook his head and bought himself a ticket for the train. He had thought about going to see her years ago, when it was clear that she was not coming back like she told him, but he was a married man then and it wasn’t appropriate. Now that he was alone again, well, it still didn’t feel right. What if she was happy in her own life? Seeing him may just bring back a time in her life that she wanted to forget.

_Is not as serious as all that,_ he thought. _It’s not like I’m going to confess my love for her or anything._

That made him stop in his tracks and a man rushes by nearly knocking him over but Jacob paid him no mind. _No._ He wasn’t in love with her, he was just lonely and needed the companionship.

At least that’s what he told himself.

He boarded the train, took a seat, and remove his hat. As he looked down at the hat in his lap he wondered if she still had the flat cap he had given her all those years ago. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the window.

_Of course she still has the hat. It was her most prized possession…she loved you._ At that, his eyes flew open and he sat up straight. “She loved me,” he mumbled to himself in disbelief. All the signs were there, signs he was too young and dumb to notice back then. She was in love with him and he made her help him win another woman over, made her come to the wedding – now everything was becoming clearer.

She left because she couldn’t deal with him being with another woman. She had to get away from the heartbreak, she had to move on…and here he was barging back into her life. Was it fair? He wasn’t sure but he wanted to see her, he _had_ to see her. She was quite literally the only ‘friend’ he had left in the world and she may not even want anything to do with him…

He thought of getting off the train and forgetting the whole thing but something told him not to. He had been thinking negatively this whole time; what if something good came out of this? What if she ran into his arms and hugged him? That made him smile as the train began to move – he had to go through with this or it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

* * *

Jacob fell asleep and dreamed of nothing which is how it went for him most nights. He seldom dreamed and when he did they were nightmares that left him in a cold sweat.

The train whistle sounded and woke him up. He ran a hand over his face and looked out the window. There were no factories, no smokestacks, no smog – just green as far as the eye could see. He checked his pocket watch as the train slowed to a stop and finally looked up at the other passengers. There weren’t many; most people didn’t have reason to come out to the countryside.

He was the last off and was glad to stretch his legs. He took a nice deep breath and noticed a change in the air straight away – he could get used to this. With no idea where to go he just let his feet lead him wherever they took him. Following the crowds always seemed to work except that here there were no crowds, just a few people strolling here and there. How was he even going to find her?

* * *

After asking around at a few stands and shops, he was ready to give up until he went into a small tavern to ask the man behind the bar.

“Excuse me, sir…you wouldn’t happen to know a woman that goes by the name of (Y/N), would you?” He gives the man a short description but it seems he didn’t need to.

“Of course I know her. Lives right up the road, last house on the right. Prettiest thing I ever seen, I’ll tell you that.” The man gives him a big smile. If it wasn’t for the missing teeth, it might have been charming. Jacob thanks the man and walks out quickly. Nothing could wipe the smile off his face or shoo away the butterflies in his stomach as he approached the last house on the right.

“Last house on the right,” he says to himself as he stands in front of the door trying to find the courage to knock. When he knocked, he expected there to be tears and some anger – he had prepared himself for that. What he hadn’t expected was for a man to open the door. His smile fell and the butterflies disappeared quickly as he stared at the man and blinked a few times, unsure of what to say.

“Yes?” the man asks, smiling politely. No missing teeth on this one. He was actually quite handsome and Jacob wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about that. “Are you lost?” He was looking at Jacob strangely now.

“No…I was just…” He clears his throat, “Does (Y/N) live here?”

“She does and who might you be?” The man seemed to be getting defensive now.

“An old friend…Jacob Frye.” He is just about to offer his hand to shake when he hears her.

“Who is at the door, Edward? If it’s someone looking for food, we have some leftovers from lunch right–” She gasps audibly and nearly drops the tray of food when she sees him.

“This man claims he’s an old friend, love. You know him?” The man, _Edward_ , asks.

“I-I…yes.” She looks at him but there is no smile, not even a small one and that hurt him more than anything. “Can you give us a moment, my love?” She turns to look at Edward and smiles, handing him the tray. He walks into the house but not before giving Jacob one last wary look. She closes the door behind her and stands in front of him.

“Hello love,” he says happily.

“What are you doing here?” she asks angrily and his smile falters. The look on her face was not one of joy but of complete nonchalance.

“I thought…I just…I wanted to see you.” He shrugs and smiles again but there isn’t an inkling of amusement in her tone when she speaks again.

“You wanted to see me? After…how long has it been?” She makes a show out of counting her fingers. “Fifteen years!” she shouts before he can answer and his eyes widen. Was _she_ angry with _him_? He had had enough of women shouting at him to last him the rest of his life…

“I travelled all the way out here because…”

“Because what, Jacob? You thought I was just going to go running into your arms?! That I was still the same naïve, stupidly in love girl that I was back then? Well, I’m not and I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve wasted your time coming here. I’m happy. Now…go back to your _wife_.” She turns away but not before he catches her wiping her eye.

“She left me,” he says quietly, _sadly_ , making her stop in her tracks. Maybe now she’d let him say something.

He can see her shoulders sag, but she doesn’t turn to him. “I’m sorry to hear that but that only makes it sound like you came out here to see me because you were lonely, not because you missed me. Go home, Jacob. There’s nothing for you here…” She continues to walk away and all he can do is watch as she goes into her house and shuts the door without so much as a goodbye.

His lip quivers as his mouth twists into a sneer, his anger bubbling up…the anger that got him into trouble so many times all those years ago. _No,_ he tells himself, _You’re better than that._ Better than what? Right now, he felt no better than the dirt on the sole of someone’s shoe.

* * *

Jacob had decided to stay a few more days to see if she would at least sit down and talk with him. With the way things were going so far, it seemed like a long shot but he was never one to give up easily. Maybe he could catch her when she was away from her home. He was sure this new man, Edward, was having an influence on her attitude towards him.

As he expected, he was unable to sleep so he found the nearest pub and drank until he could forget. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown out as someone shouted about him having enough for the night. He cursed whoever it was and made his way down the street as best he could. He eventually collapsed in an alley somewhere, shouting her name. There was no way she would hear him but it was all he could think of doing at the time.

* * *

Jacob woke up to find himself somewhere warm and much more comfortable than the ground in an alleyway. Where was he and who had found him? When he tried to sit up, he got lightheaded and decided it was best for him to lie still for now.

He groaned as he looked around as best as he could. “Hello?” he called which only worsened the pain in his head but he needed to find someone. “Is anyone there?” he tried again. He heard footsteps and felt for his hidden blade but it was gone.

“Yes, someone is here, Jacob,” came a voice, a voice he knew. He squinted in the dark to try and make out who it was but no such luck. “Is this your way of getting my attention? Getting drunk and shouting my name loud enough for the entire town to hear?”

“I…I’m sorry.” It was all he could think of to say.

She finally stepped closer and the small fire that still burned allowed him to see her face. “I wasn’t going to bring you here, Jacob, and I shouldn’t have but there’s still that little part of me that can’t stand to see anything happen to you.”

He sat up slowly trying to think of what to say. Being at a loss for words was something new for him. “You…you were in love with me all those years ago, weren’t you?” He hears her take a deep breath but she doesn’t answer. “Well?”

“Yes, Jacob, I _was_ but I’m happy now. I found a man I love…and he loves me back.” Her voice trembled and she stopped speaking.

_Don’t say anything stupid._ “Are you sure you’re happy? Living with what? A farmer? Do you really think he’s good enough for you?” A slap hard enough to make his ears ring and head spin even more than it was already, stopped him from talking almost immediately.

“How dare you?” she asked angrily but didn’t wait for answer. “I let you into my home and you insult the man I love, the way we’re living? I want you out in the morning…”

“Look, let me…”

“I don’t want you here any longer than you have to be. My feelings for you are no more, Jacob Frye. Please go back to London and…forget about me. Leave me to my _farmer_ and you go back to whatever it is you’re doing now.” She walks away but what he asks stops her in her tracks.

“Do you still have it?”

“Have what?”

“You know what…”

She doesn’t answer. Jacob hears a door close and puts his head in his hands. He would make sure he was gone before they were up the next morning.

* * *

Before he left, he wrote her a letter. He knew it wouldn’t change anything and that she had moved on for good but he had things to say, things she needed to know.

He wondered how things might have been if they had ended up together instead. Would she be happy? He would have done anything in his power to make sure she was.

_But you didn’t. You hurt her by coming here._

He wished things could have been different, that she was on that train with him and they were going to live happily together but it wasn’t meant to be. Jacob didn’t cry often but he couldn’t stop the tear that fell from his eye; he wiped it away quickly and stared out the window. Back to London. Back to loneliness. Back to the world without her.

* * *

The years went on and things only got worse for him. His sister was still away in India and even his Rooks had abandoned him for a new leader, one that was feared all throughout the boroughs. He wrote to the only one he thought would listen to him but he never heard back; Evie hadn’t responded to his letters either. He had never felt more alone than he had right now. There was something else he felt, something that he would had never admitted to when he was younger: he was afraid.

* * *

***YOUR POV***

The letters sat opened but unanswered in the bottom drawer of your bureau along with the flat cap from all those years ago. In all these years, Jacob still hadn’t given up. You received a letter from him just about every week, sometimes more than one, but you never responded no matter how hard it was for you.

Part of you always wanted to run to him to tell him that you still loved him after all these years but you couldn’t show him that weakness. You couldn’t show him that you were willing to drop your new life just for one with him.

You held the last letter you received from him in your hands, reading it repeatedly. The others were written in a way you expected from Jacob, but this one…it was different, _urgent._ His writing seemed rushed and the tone just seemed wrong. Something _was_ wrong.

But what if nothing was wrong and this was just his way of getting you back into his life. Would Jacob truly go as far as frightening you to get you to come back? No. He would never do that to you. Something was _wrong._

You repeated that to yourself as you walked out of your house with Edward begging you not to go. You repeated it yourself as you bought yourself a ticket for the train knowing that you probably wouldn’t be coming back.

Jacob’s last letter was in your pocket and you felt for it as you stepped off the train and back into London which hadn’t changed as much as you thought it would all those years you were gone.

You knew where to go but did you want to? What would you say to him after all this time? Would he want to hear anything you had to say? The only way to find out was to do it. So, you found yourself walking, remembering the streets like you were never gone. You stood outside the building where you were sure Jacob lived all that was left to do was to knock.

After the first few knocks got you no answer, you peaked in through the window and squinted to try and see if anyone was home. What you saw almost took your breath away. The place was a mess, not that you expected anything different from Jacob, but this was strange even for him. Things were knocked over and thrown about like there had been some kind of struggle.

Your heart was in your throated as you knocked on the door harder, calling out his name this time. You pull on the door handle and the door opens easily. Not a good sign at all.

“Jacob!” you call out into the darkness, stepping on shattered glass. “Is everything all right?” You already knew you wouldn’t get an answer. You trip over something and steady yourself by grabbing onto the wall. “Hello?” Something moves behind you and you turn quickly, pressing yourself against the wall silently.

“Who’s there?” a woman’s voice asks.

“I-I’m a friend of Jacob’s. I was just checking on him…I don’t think he’s here…” You had no idea who you were talking to but they didn’t sound threatening.

“What is your name?” the woman asks so you tell her and you can tell that she’s stopped walking. “I remember you. It’s me…Evie.”

Jacob’s sister! You step away from the wall and towards her voice. “Oh, Evie! Something terrible has happened. Where is he?” You grab onto her arm and she places her hand over yours. You couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“Let’s get out of here and find somewhere somewhat safe to talk.” She leads you out of the flat easily and into the street. She looks at you and you hug her suddenly not knowing what else to do. “It’s okay. Let’s go.”

* * *

The pub that Jacob frequented when he was younger was the safest place you two could find and it would have to do for now. Evie sat across from you with a drink in front of her and you stared down at the table until she called your name.

“How are you?” she asked.

“I-I’m…I don’t know,” you say sadly, looking at her. She still looked the same just older and her skin was a little darker on account of her time in India. “Where is Jacob?”

“I think…Jack’s got him.”

“Jack?” You shook your head in confusion, unable to think straight.

She leans in close to you as if she’s about to tell you a secret, “Jack the Ripper. Surely you’ve heard about what’s been going on around here.”

You think and think and…yes, you do recall seeing something in the paper about him but you never would have thought Jacob would get tied up into it. Suddenly, you have a horrible thought, “No…no…don’t tell me he’s…”

“I’m not saying that. I’m not giving up on my brother and neither should you. Jacob is alive and I will find him.” Evie reaches into her pocket and pulls out a paper. “He wrote me this letter practically begging me to come back so I did…”

You pick it up and start to read it. It was just as rushed as the one he sent to you. “When did you receive this?” you ask placing the letter on the table again and noticing red finger prints on it where you had held it with your gloves.

“A few weeks ago,” she answers and your heart drops. You had received your letter way before her and did nothing about it. Jacob could be dead and it would be because you didn’t take his letter seriously. “What’s wrong?”

“Th-there’s blood…on…” You look down at your gloves and see something wet and shake your head. “Blood,” you repeat. You remember tripping and grabbing the wall; you must have touched it then. Evie calls you but you don’t hear her, you can only stare at your hands and shake your head.

“Hey, listen to me, Jacob is okay and we’ll find him. I promise.”

Yes, but how would you find him? Dead? Alive? He was obviously hurt badly and if he was still alive he was suffering.

“I should have come back. This is my fault,” you cry out.

“This is no one’s fault.”

“I never told him…I never told him that I loved him.” The pub feels too warm all the sudden, too small…you needed air. You run from the table and out into the street, gasping for air. “I never…”

Evie grabs your arms and makes you look at her, “You’ll get your chance.” She removes the gloves from your hands and shoves them into her pocket.

“I’m so scared,” you admit.

“I am too,” Evie tells you, “I want my brother back and I won’t stop until he’s with me, with _us._ ”

“What am I going to do while you’re out there looking for him? That will only give me more to worry about.”

“You’re going to help me. You were one of his best and favorite Rooks after all and I’m afraid you’re the only one left that hasn’t abandoned him for Jack.”

“I couldn’t possibly be of any help…”

“Of course you can. We both love him in different ways and that makes us determined. We both want the same thing, to find Jacob…alive. Us working together is so much better than me out here on my own looking for clues that only lead to dead ends. Let’s do this together. Let’s bring Jacob home together.”

You still weren’t sure how you could possibly help but you nod your head. Evie was right, you were determined and even if after all this Jacob wanted nothing to do with you, you would be happy because you had helped find him. Whatever he was going through right now, he didn’t deserve and you wanted to bring this Jack the Ripper to justice even if that meant killing him.

You knew Jacob would do the same for you.


End file.
